1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an alpine skiing aid and, more particularly, is concerned with a ski pole that is osteologically and functionally correct.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Downhill skiers utilize ski poles to aid in making turns as well as maintaining balance. Downhill ski poles are generally carried with the tips above the surface of the snow until the skier wishes to "plant" the pole in order to facilitate a turn.
Unfortunately, ordinary ski poles have straight, elongate tubes or rods which when grasped by a person skiing force that person to change the natural wrist angle to be more in alignment with the pole and not in the natural alignment of the human bone structure. Further, straight poles will often employ inline pointed tips that allow only a straight line engagement with the snow or ice.
The lower extremity of the bones of the forearm including the ulna and radius are attached to the wrist joint at a particular angle so that, when the fingers of the hand grasp a pole, the longitudinal axis of the pole places the point of a straight elongate pole behind the user. In order to bring the point of a straight pole forward, so that it could be used as an improved aid in skiing, the wrist must be bent backwards to an angle that is both uncomfortable and unnatural for the condition of the human skeleton. Accordingly, a more natural position for a skiing aid is to have the handle or gripping surface canted forwardly approximately from 10 to 20 degrees.
It has been found by the inventor herein that if the ground engaging point were canted backwardly 10 to 20 degrees, then the point of the alpine skiing aid would maintain a firmer contact with the snow or ice than if it were not canted backwardly. This improves a skier's stability and balance in turning, for safety as well as quality of the turn. Thus, the ideal alpine skiing aid would provide a naturally occurring gripping surface while maintaining a ski pole in the correct osteological angle commensurate with the human skeleton and would provide for a backwardly projecting snow or ice engaging surface so that the device could be used to provide more stability over a longer duration of time.
As mentioned above, unfortunately, prior art ski poles are generally of the straight type. No ski poles are known in the prior art that provide a skiing aid having a naturally osteologically correct position of the gripping surface, that being forwardly canted while maintaining the snow or ice engaging point backwardly from the longitudinal axis of the main portion of the pole.
Consequently, a need exists for improvement of prior art ski poles used in alpine skiing.